Enteng Kabisote and the Traditional Christmas Bashing

Now that Christmas Day has come and gone and that we are just savoring the remaining days of the season, allow me to give a nasty killjoy statement.

Christmas Day is the time when the most predictable things happen… the more fortunate ones get the usual hams, queso de bola and calendars… everybody seems to wear the best clothes… street urchins appear out of nowhere and haunt motorists for ‘money to buy food.’

And as trite and as predictable as the staple of the yearly MMFF offering, Enteng Kabisote, is the usual Christmas homily, where parishioners are given a healthy bashing of the ‘consumerist’, ‘commecialized’ Christmas.  Jolly Ol’ St. Nick is once again the condemned thief who stole Christmas, and that people should focus on the real meaning of the season, instead of gorging on the catered meal.

The funny thing is, the parishioners do not seem to notice much at all.  All they want is to get the Mass over with so they could spend the whole day partying.   Perhaps homilists have learned much the same as Vic Sotto had with the Enteng Kabisote plot – rehashing the same old thing year–in and year–out is practical in the long run.  Paskong–pasko, bakit pa mag–iisip ng iba, o di ba?

Ironically, most of us who are so good in the traditional consumerist Christmas bashing, are so eager to get our hands on the lechon, hamon, and everything served on the table.  Yup, count me in on that one.

But seriously, next year, I hope to spend Christmas differently.  I am planning to go on a spiritual retreat where Christmas Day would be spent in prayerful silence and solitude, away from the noise, revelry, lechon and hamon, Enteng Kabisote and the traditional consumerist Christmas bashing.

Dalaw ni GMA

Isang istorya ng DALAW ni GMA!!!

Lucifer: Hello GMA, malapit na ang pasko, napadalaw ako dahil ipinaaala-ala ko sayo na isasama na kita sa aking kaharian!!

GMA: Naku paano yan, hinde pa ako handa eh, marami pa akong gagawin

Lucifer: eh wala akong magagawa kasi numero uno ka sa aking listahan

GMA: Ganun? okay, bago mo ako isama ay halika muna at tayo ay magmiryenda

Lucifer: O, sige, tutal malapit na ang pasko ay pagbibigyan kita.

At nagmiryenda nga ang mag-amo. Nguni't di alam ni Lucifer na nilagyan ni GMA ng maraming sleeping pills ang pagkain ni Lucif at nakatulog ng mahimbing si Lucifer.  Sinamantala naman ni GMA ang pagkakataon at kinuha niya ang listahan ni Lucif, kaagad binura ang kanyang pangalan sa unahan at inilagay sa hulihan ng listahan. 

Maya-maya ay nagising na si Lucifer.

Lucifer: Hayyyy, nakatulog pala ako. GMA, nabatid ko na isa ka palang mabait (kuno) ay napag-isip-isip ko na ang uunahin kong kunin ay iyong nakatala sa hulihan ng aking listahan........!

A Good Example of Humility

Manila, Philippines – A Catholic Church prelate criticized President Benigno S. Aquino III for not appearing at the installation of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio ‘Chito’ G. Tagle yesterday. Lipa (Batangas) Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said the absence of Aquino showed his lack of respect for the Church.

‘Of all our Presidents, he is the only one who didn’t show respect for the Church,’ Arguelles said. ‘It’s very conspicuous, the absence of the President for the first time in the history of the Philippines,’ added Arguelles.

‘The President SHOULD have reset the date of the turnover rites for the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Gen. Jessie D. Dellosa if he really wants to attend the event.   This is an international event, the AFP can be reset tomorrow.  He is really not interested in attending,’ he said. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino, Tempo December 13, 2011)

Now that was a good example of humility on the part of our good bishop, don't you think? 

Ok, I was being sarcastic hehehehe!  So this speaks of the Church' powerful political position in our society.